All non-starchy vegetables and fruits have an alkaline-forming effect on your body fluids. That means that potatoes and bananas are slightly more acidic than most other vegetables and fruits. For that reason, non-starchy fruits, berries, and vegetables should be the main bulk of our diet. Fortunately, nature has arranged it so that green vegetables, such as kale and broccoli, are not only very alkaline, but also these super foods are also the most nutrient rich foods we can consume.
Most legumes are semi-alkaline, while whole grains are more acidic, and refined grains have an acidic effect on the body. In addition, all meat products, eggs, fish, dairy, and sugar have an acidic effect when digested. Thus, these foods should be eliminated from the diet, or greatly reduced. In other words, a vegan living mainly on protein bars can end up with an acidic and unhealthy blood stream, while an omnivore eating lots of fruits and vegetables and a small amount of meat and dairy can stay alkaline and healthy.
The body needs to maintain homeostasis, a blood pH level of about 7.35 to 7.46 to maintain good health. We do that by eating a diet of primarily alkaline producing foods, mainly fruits and vegetables. These foods are also the most nutrient dense foods.
There is no need for paleo folks and vegans to go to war in a battle of words regarding what is right or wrong with an alkaline diet. The facts speak for themselves. In essence, you can become acidic on any diet if you eat too much acid-forming foods: too much animal protein and fats, too much sugar and refined carbs, as well as too many deep-fried foods. Whether to be a vegan, a vegetarian or an omnivore is, in the end, more a question of ethics, provided you eat an alkaline diet.
So, if you don’t like to kill animals and you want to be kinder to the planet, then a vegan diet is certainly the healthiest and most environmentally friendly. If you just want to stay healthy, on the other hand, then junk foods and animal foods need to be minimized or eliminated, but the main bulk of your foods still needs to be mainly vegetables and fruits.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ramesh Bjonnes
Ramesh is the Director of the Prama Wellness Center where lifestyle is considered our best medicine. Ramesh is also a writer, yogi and workshop leader. He studied yoga therapy in Nepal and India, Ayurveda at California College of Ayurveda and is a certified yoga detox therapist from the AM Wellness Center in Cebu, Philippines. He has taught workshops in many countries and is the author of four books, including Sacred Body, Sacred Spirit (InnerWorld) and Tantra:The Yoga of Love and Awakening (Hay House India).
